Thursday, April 2nd, 2009
Okay, quick... what was the first thought that came into your mind when you read that title? A) Peace B) Joy C) Happiness D) Excitement What... you say? You don't like the choices? Well, then... how about an incredibly professional and friendly staff... or a relaxed, caring, customer-centric environment? How about a dental office that is so on-time at 2 o'clock in the afternoon that the patient (me) never felt the fabric of a chair in the waiting area.…
Read More
Tags: best customers, competition, competitors, culture, customer experience, customer service, customers, customers as marketers, excellence, ideal customers, internet, leader, new media, professional development, referral business, referrals, relationships, service, service professionals, small business, small business leadership, small business marketing, small business owner, staff, team, whole team marketing
Posted in leadership, marketing
1 Comment »
Tuesday, March 3rd, 2009
Okay, so
yesterday I introduced you to an expert (consultant) who makes his living going from live presentation to live presentation, lecturing business groups on his theory that live presentations don't work. I know... it didn't make sense to me either. His entire teaching hangs on the thread that your customers, regardless of your industry, no longer want to have any…
Read More
Tags: change, commitment, commoditization, commodity, competition, competitors, consultants, customer expectations, customer experience, customer service, customers, improvements, price, referral business, referrals, repeat business, salespeople, satisfaction, small business, small business marketing, small business owner, team, whole team marketing
Posted in marketing
No Comments »
Sunday, February 22nd, 2009
Return with me now to those thrilling thoughts of yesterday... You will remember that I had met an independent insurance agent who once had a dominating presence in his local west-coast market, but lately was getting his tail kicked by various online services. Yeah, that friendly gecko is a lovable little guy... isn't he? That is, I suppose, until he removes your ability to pay your mortgage or put food on the table, right? That is what…
Read More
Tags: business model, competition, competitive advantage, competitors, gecko, marketing budget, marketing plan, mass advertising, mass marketing, new media, offer, revenue model, routines, sales process, same same same, service lines, small business marketing
Posted in marketing
1 Comment »
Saturday, February 21st, 2009
Recently, I was speaking with an independent insurance agent who is feeling the effects of the self-serve internet age. They have traditionally carried a fairly significant mass-advertising budget, but now seem to be having their lunch handed to them on radio and television by the likes of cavemen and talking reptiles and even a cartoon character or two. Will they survive? Possibly... But will they thrive? Probably not... at least not with their…
Read More
Tags: business model, capitalization, change, commoditization, competition, dinosaur industries, global competition, internet, marketing budget, marketing model, mass advertising, mass market, mass marketing, revenue model, small business, small business leadership, small business marketing, small fortune
Posted in leadership, marketing
No Comments »
Monday, February 2nd, 2009
A decade ago, 'Corporate Mission Statements' were all the rage. Much thought, countless hours and tens of thousands... wait, hundreds of thousands... no, HUNDREDS OF MILLIONS OF DOLLARS were spent with consultants and strategists and marketers to sort out the corporate reason for being. And small business went along for the ride. "I know we need to set aside some time for that..." were the words echoed in conference rooms across the country. Now, this…
Read More
Tags: challenges, character, competition, competitive advantage, competitors, consultants, integrity, leader, leaders, marketers, mission, principles, purpose, relationships, reputation, service businesses, small business, small business leadership, small business marketing, small business owner, strategists, success, truth, value, values, who we are vs. what we say
Posted in leadership, marketing
No Comments »
Saturday, January 31st, 2009
Earlier today, I heard yet another radio commercial espousing a local company's unwavering commitment to providing 'value' for their customers. Of course, this carries as much weight as the myriad of advertisements touting such things as 'we believe in quality', 'great customer service', or 'fast delivery'. Worse, the spot threw a wide net... making the appeal that, "Whether you operate a home-based business, or a Fortune 500 company... you face…
Read More
Tags: Add new tag, advertising, challenges, character, competition, culture, customer, customer service, delivery, differentiation, ideal customers, position, positioning, quality, radio advertising, service, small business, small business marketing, team, value, values
Posted in marketing
No Comments »
Friday, January 30th, 2009
A few thousand years ago, a powerful and wealthy young man made the observation to the effect that... as iron sharpens iron, so one person sharpens another. He knew that to really succeed... we need competition. To create strong habits, and strive to become our best... we need to be challenged. To remain accountable, and focused on what's truly important... we need the company of others. And as leaders and small business owners, we need the advice…
Read More
Tags: accountability, actions, advice, challenges, competition, effective, efficient, failing, failure, habits, important vs. urgent, iron sharpens iron, lead, leader, principles, small business, small business leadership, small business owner, success, team
Posted in leadership
No Comments »
Sunday, January 25th, 2009
Competition that is right out front is pretty easy to identify. These are other service businesses that provide similar solutions to exactly the same challenges that we address with our clients. For better or worse, most businesses have developed tactics as part of their marketing plan to compete with them. Unfortunately, they often fail to redraw the lines...…
Read More
Tags: action, best customers, challenges, commoditization, competition, competitive landscape, competitors, customer, customer needs, customers, de-motivation, doubt, fear, ideal customers, inaction, inefficiencies, issues, joy, low-barrier options, marketers, marketing plan, motivation, pricing, processes, profit, razor-thin margins, relationships, risk-reduced, ROI, scenarios, service businesses, services, small business, small business marketing, small business owner, solutions, staff, tactics, unbelief, uncovery
Posted in marketing
No Comments »
Saturday, January 24th, 2009
If you manufacture computer screens... or coffee cups, step ladders... or any other product from feather dusters to construction equipment... it's pretty easy to figure out where your main competition is coming from. Service businesses, on the other hand, have additional challenges when it comes to marketing. We often find that we must compete with the very people that we want to have as customers... an unlikely occurrence in manufacturing or distribution…
Read More
Tags: benefits, best customers, coaching, competition, competitors, customer, customer needs, delivering content, good enough, ideal customers, ideas, in-house, information, insights, marketers, marketing plan, monday morning, processes, relevance, risk-reduced, routines, service businesses, small business, small business marketing, solutions, status quo, value
Posted in marketing
1 Comment »
Friday, January 23rd, 2009
"So... who is our biggest competitor?" That was the question I asked my team twenty-something years ago. And the answers flowed freely... naming every other staffing company of merit within a two hour radius of our office. But were they really competing with us? Were we competing with them? My answer was no. In fact, as I mentioned
yesterday, we developed good working…
Read More
Tags: category, challenges, change, coaching, competition, competitive landscape, competitors, confidence, hr, impact players, influence, interactions, laser focused, market sector, marketers, marketing plan, marketing professionals, marketing strategy, niche, objections, position, processes, proposals, razor-thin margins, relationships, routines, service businesses, small business, small business marketing, small business owner, staffing, systems, talent, team, training, verticals
Posted in marketing
No Comments »
